Guides

Ratchet strap guides

Start with the buying guide if the words working load and break strength still feel interchangeable. The use-case pages name an editor's pick. For ordinary cargo that pick is the AUGO 15-foot kit. For a car on a trailer, the page says to use an axle-strap kit instead. Stuck hardware and worn webbing live on the how-to articles page, and each one appears there only after its publish date.

• Buying guide

  Ratchet strap buying guide

  Working load limit versus break strength, strap width, S-hooks, J-hooks, flat hooks, length, and the DOT and WSTDA ideas that keep those numbers honest.

• Motorcycles

  Best ratchet straps for motorcycles

  How to choose tie-downs for a motorcycle, why soft loops matter, and why StrapRank's editor's pick is the AUGO kit that includes them.

• Kayaks and canoes

  Best straps for kayaks and canoes

  How to strap a kayak or canoe without dishing the hull, when a cam buckle beats a ratchet, and where the AUGO kit still fits.

• Moving

  Best ratchet straps for moving furniture

  How to strap dressers, appliances, and other household loads in a truck without crushing finishes, and why the AUGO kit is the editor's pick for that day.

• Truck beds

  Best ratchet straps for truck beds

  Anchor points, strap length, and the AUGO 15-foot kit as StrapRank's editor's pick for pickup beds.

• Trailers

  Best straps for trailers and car hauling

  General trailer cargo versus hauling a car. AUGO for ordinary trailer loads. A rated axle-strap kit when the cargo is a vehicle.

• Roof racks

  Best ratchet straps for roof racks

  Roof-load limits, soft loops on crossbars, and why a strap's break strength is not permission to overload a car roof.

• How to

  How to use a ratchet strap

  Thread, tension, and lock a ratchet strap without treating break strength as a target. A general method, plus the point where the strap's own instructions win.

• How to

  How to release a ratchet strap

  Open the handle all the way, spill the tension, and unhook. What to do when a ratchet feels stuck, without hitting it.

• How to

  How to store ratchet straps

  Dry the webbing, keep it out of the sun and away from chemicals, and inspect it before the next load.